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Who Framed Mr. Toad
Who Framed Mr. Toad is a 2008 American live-action/animated comedy film directed by David Kellogg, produced by Roger Birnbaum and Andy Heyward, and written by Rob Walker. The film is based on Ricardo Bennett's 2000 novel Who Censored Mr. Toad? The film stars Adam Sandler, Rick Moranis, Kevin McDonald, Roger Ebert, and Sandra Bullock. Combining live-action and animation, the film is set in Hollywood during the late 1980s, where cartoon characters and people co-exist. The story follows Peter Thompson, a private detective who must exonerate "Toon" (i.e. cartoon character) Mr. Toad, who is accused of murdering a wealthy businessman. Plot In 1980 Los Angeles, "toons" act in theatrical cartoon shorts as with live-action films; they regularly interact with real people and animals and reside in Toontown. Private detective Peter Thompson and his brother, Robert, once worked closely with the toons on several famous cases, but after Teddy was killed by a toon, Peter lapsed into alcoholism, lost his sense of humor, and vowed never to work for toons again. R.K. Maroon, head of Maroon Cartoon Studios, is concerned about the recent poor performances of one of his biggest stars, Mr. Toad Maroon hires Walker to investigate rumors about Toad's voluptuous toon wife Melissa being romantically involved with businessman Marvin Acme, owner of both Acme Corporation and Toontown. After watching Melissa perform at an underground nightclub, Peter secretly photographs her and Acme playing patty-cake in her dressing room, which he shows to Toad. Toad angrily declares that he and his wife will be happy, and he flees. The next morning, Acme is discovered dead at his factory, and evidence points to Toad being responsible. While investigating, Walker meets Steinbeck Doom, Toontown's intimidating superior court judge. He has created a substance capable of killing a toon: a toxic "dip.” Walker later runs into Toad's toon co-star, Baby Tony, who believes Roger is innocent and that Acme's missing will, which will give the toons ownership of Toontown, may be the key to his murder. In his office, Walker finds Toad who begs him to help exonerate him. Walker reluctantly hides Toad in a local bar, where his ex-girlfriend Daisy works. Melissa approaches Walker and says that Maroon forced her to pose for the photographs so he could blackmail Acme. Doom and his toon weasel henchmen discover Toad, but he and Peter escape with Toad, an anthropomorphic taxicab. They flee to a theater, where Peter tells Mr. Toad that a toon killed Robert when they were investigating a bank robbery. As they leave with Daisy, Peter sees a newsreel detailing the sale of Maroon Cartoons to Cloverleaf, a mysterious corporation that bought the city's trolley network shortly before Acme's murder. Peter goes to the studio to confront Maroon, leaving Toad to guard outside, but Melissa knocks Toad out and puts him in the trunk. Maroon tells Peter that he blackmailed Acme into selling his company so he could sell the studio, then tearfully admits he only did so out of fear for the safety of the toons. Maroon is killed by an unseen assailant before he can explain the consequences of the missing will. Peter spots Melissa fleeing the scene, and assuming she is the culprit, follows her into Toontown. Once he apprehends her, Melissa reveals that Doom killed Acme and Maroon and that Acme gave her his will for safekeeping, but she discovered that the will was blank. She and Peter are then captured by Doom and the weasels. At the Acme factory, Doom reveals his plot to destroy Toontown with a machine loaded with dip to build a freeway, the only way past Toontown since Cloverleaf (which Doom owns) has bought out Los Angeles' Pacific Electric Railway. Toad unsuccessfully attempts to save Melissa, and the couple is tied onto a hook in front of the machine's hose. Peter performs a comedic vaudeville act, causing the weasels to die of laughter; Peter kicks their leader into the machine's dip vat, killing him. Peter fights Doom, who is flattened by a steamroller, but survives, exposing him as the very toon who killed Robert. Peter uses a toon boxing glove mallet that causes the machine to empty its dip onto Doom, dissolving him. The empty machine crashes through the wall into Toontown, where it is destroyed by a train. Toons run in to regard Doom's remains, and Peter discovers that Toad inadvertently wrote his love letter for Melissa on Acme's will, which was written in disappearing/reappearing ink. Toad shocks Peter with a joy buzzer, and Walker gives him a kiss, having regained his sense of humor. Walker happily enters Toontown with Daisy alongside Toad, Melissa and the other toons. Cast * Adam Sandler as Peter Thompson, a detective * Rick Moranis as Steinbeck Doom, a cold, intimidating judge who is secretly a criminal toon mastermind * Kevin McDonald as Mr. Toad * Nathan Lane as Lenny the Cab, Grumpy Ghost * Blake Clark as Psycho Ghost * Roger Ebert as Stan Smith * Sandra Bullock as Daisy * J. K. Simmons as Rick Kenny * Seth MacFarlane as Baby Mandy * Anna Faris as Melissa Rose * Kristen Wiig as Melissa Rose's singing voice Category:Films